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TShe PAN AMERICAN UNION 

JOHN BARRETT : : Director General 
FRANCISCO J. YANES : Assistant Director 



MONTEVIDEO 



THE CITY OF ROSES 



Reprinted from the October, 1917, issue 
of the Bulletin of the Pan American Union 



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WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1917 



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ON-TAY-VEE-DAY'-O is about the way the Uruguayans 
pronounce the name of their capital; not Mon-te-vid'-e-o, 
as many even fairly well-informed persons in the United 
States persist in pronouncing it. There are two versions 
of the story usually told to account for the name, and neither seems 
entirely satisfactory. In both it is stated that the name originated 
in an expression used by a pilot or lookout on one of the ships of 
Magellan's fleet as it sailed into the mouth of the Rio de la Plata 
on January 15, 1520. The first object to attract the attention of 
this gentleman was the u cerro" or hill, and he is said to have 
exclaimed, " Montem video!" But why exclaim in Latin? Magellan 
himself was Portuguese, although at the time in the service of Spain, 
while the men under him were doubtless both Spanish and Portu- 
guese. Latin was not in general use among adventurous sailors, 
pilots, or even masters of vessels in those days any more than it is 
now. And even if the lookout had known Latin, it would have been 
more natural for him to have expressed surprise or announced an 
important discovery in his own tongue. Some one evidently thought 
of this view of the case ; so the second version has it that the lookout 
was Portuguese, and upon seeing the hill called out, "Monte vide 
eu!" Now that happens not to be Portuguese as it is spoken at 
present. The present tense of the verb ver (to see) is vejo, the past 
(or preterite) vi; but it is possible that the obsolete Spanish form of 
the past tense, vide, which is occasionally used even now in some 
parts of Spanish America, may also have been in use in the Portu- 
guese of the sixteenth century. In that case the expression monte 
vide might have been used, the pronoun eu being added for emphasis. 
However, whether derived directly or indirectly from the Latin, 
the name means either "I see" or "I saw — a mountain;" so we may 
let it go at that. It's a fine, sonorous name that was given the city 
in its infancy, and the valor, energy, and progressiveness of its 
people have made it famous the world over. 

Although the city of Montevideo was permanently founded by 
the Spaniards, the Portuguese were directly responsible for the selec- 
tion of the site. The very important matter of the control of that 
great estuary known as the Rio de la Plata had much to do with the 
location of Uruguay's fair capital. The Portuguese claimed that 
under the decree of Pope Alexander VI they were entitled to estab- 
lish the Rio de la Plata as the boundary line between their possessions 

1 By Edward Albes, of Tan American Union shill". 



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MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 5 

and those of Spain in that section of South America, and hence that 
the northern or left bank of the river was under their jurisdiction. 
The Spanish colony of Buenos Aires had been established on a firm 
basis since 1580, and to offset this advantage the Portuguese governor 
of Rio de Janeiro determined about a hundred years later to found a 
settlement almost directly opposite, on the northern bank. As a 
result the town known as Colonia (Nova Colonia del Sacramento) 
was founded by the Portuguese in 1680. 

When news of this venture came to the governor of Buenos Aires, 
Jose de Garro, he at once sent a protest to the Portuguese governor 
and warned him to vacate. No attention being paid to the protesta- 
tion, the Spanish governor set himself to gathering a small army of 
about 3,000 Indians and 300 Spanish soldiers and the same year pro- 
ceeded to expel the Portuguese invaders vi et armis. The Portuguese 
governor and garrison were taken as prisoners to Lima, and the town 
of Colonia became Spanish for the time being. 

As soon as this performance of the Spanish governor of Buenos 
Aires became known to the Portuguese Government it protested 
vigorously, and, being assured of the support of France, threatened 
Carlos II of Spain with reprisals unless he disavowed the action of 
his governor, set free the prisoners, and returned the little colony to 
Portuguese dominion. This Carlos did forthwith, and Colonia once 
more was Portuguese, remained at peace for nearly a quarter of a 
century, grew lustily and throve commercially as an entrepot for 
goods destined for the interior of the Spanish possessions in South 
America. Meanwhile Philip V became the first Bourbon King of 
Spain, and in 1705 ordered the then governor of Buenos Aires, 
Valdez Inclan, to oust the Portuguese from Colonia. In the course 
of time his orders were obeyed, for after a siege of about six months 
Colonia again fell into the hands of the Spaniards. Then, as the 
culmination of the War of Succession in Europe, came the Treaty of 
Utrecht in 1715, and in accordance with one of its provisions Philip 
V ceded the colony back to Portugal. Great was the indignation of 
the Spanish colonists, and trouble at once arose over the extent of 
the Portuguese jurisdiction — a matter which became the subject of a 
bitter controversy between Spain and Portugal that lasted for years. 

It was not long before Portugal realized that if it was to maintain 
its position in the River Plate region further colonization would be 
necessary. In accordance, therefore, with this idea, in 1723 an expe- 
dition was fitted out in Rio de Janeiro under the command of Manoel 
Freitas de Fonseca, whose instructions were to proceed to the Rio 
de la Plata and to establish another colony on its northern bank 
nearer to the ocean than the location of Colonia. He selected a site 
on a peninsula which juts out just about where the river and ocean 
meet, and by so jutting forms the eastern limits of a fine natural 




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Copyright by E. M. Newman and Brown & Dawson. N. Y. 

A DOCK SCENE AT MONTEVIDEO. 

Note the seven large steam cranes shown in this picture of only a small section of the improved port. One 
of the recently completed moles has 15 traveling cranes and 6 that are stationary, all heing operated 
by steam and having a lifting capacity of 2 to 4 tons each. 




RIVER STEAMERS TAKING ON PASSENGERS AT MONTEVIDEO. 



8 MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 

harbor. On this bay Manoel's engineers began the work of laying 
out a new town. 

News of this aggressive move was soon taken to the governor of 
Buenos Aires, who happened to be one D. Bruno Mauri cio de Zavala, 
a fighting Spanish noble who had been made a field marshal in recog- 
nition of his services to his king and country, and made governor of 
the Rio de la Plata in 1717. Before the Portuguese had time to com- 
plete their fortifications Zavala had gathered a flotilla and embarked 
with a strong force to attack them. Fonseca, having learned of the 
warlike preparations, quickly decided that discretion in this case 
would be the better part of valor, and by the time that Zavala arrived 
the Portuguese had embarked on their ships and were on the way to 
Rio de Janeiro. 

Zavala, recognizing the strong position and strategic value of the 
location selected by the Portuguese, took advantage of this oppor- 
tunity to establish the Spanish occupation of the disputed territory. 
He at once proceeded to build a fortification, which was known as 
a El Fuerte de San Jose," and left a garrison of 100 Spanish soldiers 
and about 1,000 Indians to defend it. Returning to Buenos Aires, 
he sent a report of his actions to the King of Spain, who approved of 
everything that had been done, and furthermore recommended that 
permanent settlements be established at the new location as well as 
at Maldonado. 

An expedition to put down a tentative revolution in Paraguay 
temporarily delayed the execution of the King's orders, but finally, 
on December 24, 1726, the city of San Felipe de Montevideo was 
fully established, seven families, consisting altogether of 37 persons, 
having been sent over from Buenos Aires for the purpose. A short 
time thereafter 20 families were induced to come over from the 
Canary Islands, and thus the little settlement started on its career? 
a career that has been stormy and strenuous at times, but one that 
has evoked in its inhabitants the admirable characteristics of love 
of liberty, sturdiness, and indomitable courage. 

Montevideo's history is practically Uruguay's history, and although 
of absorbing interest in its many heroic and romantic features the 
limited space allotted to this sketch precludes going into details or 
even giving a bare outline. Suffice it to say that for many years 
the country was the bone of contention between the Spaniards and 
the Portuguese, and at one time (1807) even England fruitlessly 
stretched out its long arm across the seas to possess itself of this 
charming region with its delightful climate, its splendid plains, and 
its wonderful possibilities. The stout-hearted settlers of the Banda 
Oriental, however, fought stubbornly and long to maintain their 
liberties, now one and then the other of its enemies being a temporary 
ally, until finally under their own bold leader, Artigas, whose grand- 
father had been one of the first settlers of Montevideo, they achieved 





Top photo copyrighted by E. M. Newman and Brown & Dawson, N. Y. 

MONTEVIDEAN VIEWS. 

Top : A bird's-eye view of a portion of the city of Montevideo. Middle: A view of the artificial lake in 
Urbano Park. Bottom: View of Montevideo taken from Urbano Park, a portion of which is shown 
in the foreground. 



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MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 11 

their independence from Spain. For a time that independence was 
threatened by the two powerful neighbors, Argentina and Brazil, 
but in 1828 both of those coun tries by formal treaty recognized 
Uruguay as a free and independent Republic, a status that its liberty- 
loving people have seduously maintained ever since. 

For a century and a half after its founding Montevideo grew steadily 
but slowly. In 1879 it could boast of not more than 70,000 inhab- 
itants. Then came an awakening which resulted in remarkable 
progress. From an old-fashioned, untidy, overgrown town it has 
evolved within 40 years into a modern, clean, sanitary, and well- 
governed cosmopolitan city of 400,000 people in which every up-to- 
date convenience and improvement in civic life is to be found. In 
its care for the blind, poor, and defective; in its provision for the 
safeguarding of the health of its citizens; in its systems of education; 
in the conservative control of its finances; in short, in the exercise 
of all of its civic functions there is not a more progressive or better 
managed city in all the Americas. 

To the mind of the writer no adjective so aptly describes the popu- 
lation as well as the city as the word sturdy. As soon as one lands 
in Montevideo one is impressed with the sturdiness, the self-reliance, 
the confident independence of the people he meets. They do not 
"put on airs." There is no effort at gaudy display of any kind. 
There is no vain boasting. They mean business, to use an expressive 
Americanism. That is, they are earnest, they are honest, and they 
are competent — and they know it. When they erect a public build- 
ing it is solid, substantial, fine in architecture, and eminently suited 
to the purpose for which it was intended. They are thorough and 
build from the ground up in everything, whether it is a material 
structure of steel and stone or an ideal structure of finance and 
credit. That is what makes the Uruguayan peso worth $1.04 in 
United States gold; that is what has made Uruguayan bonds in 
demand in the money centers of the world. Uruguay's credit is 
high, for her integrity is like her currency — it does not fluctuate. 
A promise to pay made by the Uruguayan Government means that 
it will pay. The whole nation is proud of its record in this respect, 
and any government that failed to live up to its sacred traditions of 
integrity would be of short duration. 

This characteristic competency and efficiency is noticeable in many 
things in Montevideo. The city's streets are wide, well paved, well 
lighted, and are able to accommodate the traffic. Its public build- 
ings are artistic, roomy, and perfectly adapted to the uses for which 
they were intended. Take the Solis Theater, for instance. It is one 
of the finest and largest in South America, but it was not built merely 
for display. It was built because the Montevideans love good music 
and the greatest of European stars in grand opera are brought over 
to sing for them. Every great singer who is induced to fill an en- 




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THE PLAZA CAGANCHA, MONTEVIDEO. 

Another of the artistic open squares of the city. The handsome structure shown at the right side of the 
picture is the new municipal building, containing the executive officesbf the municipality of Montevideo. 




THE SOLIS THEATER, MONTEVIDEO. 

This is one of the largest and handsomest theaters in South America, in which have appeared many 
of the world's greatest celebrities in both operatic and dramatic fields. 



14 MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 

gagement in Buenos Aires is certain also to appear in Montevideo, 
and there are so many well-to-do people in the city who are willing 
to pay even extravagant prices for admission that it takes a very 
large building to accommodate them. Hence the size of the Solis. 

When the Uruguayan Government wants to start something new, 
like the establishment of a novel feature in sanitation, the introduc- 
tion of methods of dry farming, or the formation of a new depart- 
ment of governmental service, it goes at the matter in the same 
efficient and thorough manner. As an instance, some years ago it 
awakened to the fact that the country was neglecting to develop the 
fishing industry. The executive officials put the matter before the 
national congress, which body promptly enacted a law authorizing 
the organization of a department or bureau of fisheries. The next 
thing was to get some one who knew how to organize such a bureau, 
knew the practical as well as the theoretical features, and knew 
what was . needed to equip the institution. A general survey of 
what other leading countries in the world had done in this line 
was made, and the conclusion reached was that the United States 
Bureau of Fisheries was about the best organization of its kind to be 
found. That being the case, the best thing to do was to get an expert 
who had been trained in the work of that organization to establish 
the new bureau. The Uruguayan minister in Washington took up 
the matter with the proper officials. A careful investigation of a 
number of experts was quietly made, the right man selected, a salary 
large enough to get him was offered, and as a result Uruguay has an 
up-to-date fish commission, with Mr. J. N. Wisner, formerly one of 
the experts of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, at its head. 

The Uruguayan is the product of the free and open life of his great, 
rolling plains, and when he settles down to city life he must needs 
have light and air and space to move about in. So, as intimated 
above, Montevideo is supplied with good, wide streets, about 300 of 
them, and along their sides are planted rows of fine shade trees. 
At intervals there are large open squares, laid out in gardens filled 
with the most exquisite flowers to be found in South America. An 
ardent love of the beautiful in nature is a characteristic of the people, 
and in nothing does it find greater expression than in their passion 
for flowers. The parks, public squares, and private gardens are 
filled with them, and Montevideo is often called the "City of Roses." 
Every traveler who visits Montevideo is struck with the beauty and 
variety of its floral display and many accounts have been written 
anent this feature of the Uruguayan capital, but the best description 
the writer has read is by the Rev. Dr. J. A. Zahm in his "Through 
South America's Southland," from which the following paragraphs 
are quoted: 

But the gardens! And the flowers! Never have I seen in any part of the world 
uch marvelous exhibitions of flowering plants and shrubs, native and exotic, as are 







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Copyright by E. M. Newman and Brown & Dawson, N. Y. 

A SCENE IN ONE OF MONTEVIDEO'S BEAUTIFUL PARKS. 





A VERITABLE GARDEN OF ROSES IN THE PRADO, MONTEVIDEO. 

The Prado is Montevideo's oldest and most beautiful park. It is a vast expanse of beautiful glades, gar- 
dens, lakes, and grottoes, traversed by a picturesque little stream. Its hothouses and greenhouses 
contain a magnificent collection of tropical plants and shrubs, but its greatest feature is its wonderful 
rose garden, where bloom some 800 varieties of roses collected from every clime. The arches shown in 
the picture are covered with climbing roses, and during the summer months the whole rosarium pre- 
sents a scene of gorgeous floral coloring that can not be described. 



MoM^EVlDEO, THE CITY OF ROSE§. 1*? 

found about the homes and quintas of the Montevideans. They surpass in profusion 
and exuberance even those of Rio de Janeiro, and that is saying very much indeed. 
California is justly famed as a flowerland. So is the French Riviera. But I have 
never seen in either of these favored regions of Flora such gorgeous displays of bloom 
as I have witnessed in and around Uruguay's magnificent capital. AVith backgrounds 
of palm, orange, myrtle, magnolia, bamboo, mimosa, alternating with the native 
paraiso and ombu trees and the Australian eucalyptus, one finds beds of pansies, 
carnations, marguerites, and lilies, together with hedges of lilac and guelderrose and 
cineraria, while walls and houses are covered with multi-colored draperies of wistaria, 
honeysuckle, Bougainvillea, and numerous other creepers of every form and hue. 

It is, however, in their roses that the Montevideans take their greatest pride. They 
are found everywhere, in private gardens and in public parks, in clumps and hedges, 
trained to trellises and columns, or falling in showers over walls and railings. But 
nowhere are they seen to such advantage as in the Parque Urbano and in the Paseo del 
Prado — those exquisite pleasure grounds of the national capital. Here there are no 
less than 800 varieties of roses collected from every clime. The rose bushes themselves 
number many thousands. The casual observer would say there are myriads of them. 
They are distributed with the most exquisite taste, and their care, as one sees at a 
glance, is for the gardeners a labor of love. 

One of the principal factors which enters into this floral profusion 
and makes it possible is the wonderful climate of the country. The 
mean temperature of Montevideo's winter — if it can be said to have 
any winters — is about 52° F.; of its spring, 64° F.; its summer, 
71° F.; and its autumn, 61° F. The official statistics of the weather 
bureau for the period from 1906 to 1914, inclusive, show that the 
mean temperature (under shelter) at the central observatory at 
Montevideo was 61.23° F. (16.27° C); the extreme maximum 
(which occurred Feb. 19, 1913) was 96.2° F. (35.5° C); the average 
maximum for the nine years was 90.6° F. (32.6° C); the extreme 
minimum (July 19, 1910) was 34.5° F. (1.4° C); the average mini- 
mum for the nine years was 37.8° F. (3.26° C). The average annual 
rainfall during this nine-year period was 996.9 millimeters, or about 39 
inches. The average of fair, sunshiny days is about 225 per year. 
Uruguay is therefore often called the "land of sunshine" by travelers 
from countries where fogs and rains prevail. 

Largely because of this salubrious climate and also because of the 
naturally fine facilities for sea bathing, Montevideo has become the 
most popular summer resort in South America. Of the fine bathing 
beaches the most noted are at Los Pocitos, the Playa Ramirez, and 
Capurro, while others, such as Malvin and Carrasco, are being im- 
proved and will soon have the attractive features of the older places. 
Of these resorts, Pocitos is perhaps the most fashionable and exclusive. 
It is located about 3 miles from the center of the city and can be 
reached in 20 minutes by two different lines of street railways, or in 
less time by automobile. Along the streets leading to it and at the 
resort itself are to be found hundreds of picturesque villas and artistic 
summer homes set in gardens of gorgeous flowers and green shrubbery, 
occupied by wealthy families from various sections of the country, 






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Copyright by E.M. Newman and Brown & Dawson, N.Y. 

A SHADY ROAD IN URBANO PARK, MONTEVIDEO. 

Urbano Park, located immediately behind the famous seaside resort known as Ramirez, is the most 
frequented pleasure ground in the city. Fine trees, shady paths and drives, wonderful gardens of 
roses and hundreds of varieties of other gorgeous flowers, sparkling fountains, a large artificial lake, 
and open spaces for athletic games, all provide attractive features that help to make Montevideo the 
most popular summer resort in South America. 



20 MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 

from Buenos Aires, and even from the southern portions of Brazil. 
The social season lasts from December to March, inclusive, during 
which period life at Pocitos is at its gayest. In addition to the 
private cottages and villas the Pocitos Hotel, a large and well-ap- 
pointed hostelry of 600 rooms, can accommodate a large crowd of 
guests. One of its pleasant features is its open-air restaurant, where 
its customers are served on the wide terrace which faces the bay. 
The beach is a fine one, and for the convenience of the bathers and 
for the better observance of the proprieties it is divided into three 
sections. One section is reserved for ladies and children, one for 
men only, and the third for mixed bathing, where family groups 
usually congregate. Running along back of the beach is a raised, 
well-paved esplanade, which extends about three-fourths of the way 
around the bay and corresponds to the celebrated " Board Walk" of 
Atlantic City, United States of America. A plan is now being 
worked out by which this fashionable promenade is to be extended 
until it joins that at the Playa Ramirez. 

The Playa Ramirez is about a mile closer to the heart of the city 
than is Pocitos, and is perhaps the most popular and democratic of 
all of Montevideo's resorts. Besides the exceptionally fine beach and 
its bathing facilities, Ramirez has as a background for its setting the 
Parque Urbano, one of the most picturesque and best kept parks in 
South America. Here are groves of fine trees, gardens filled with 
exquisite flowers and shrubs, and an artificial lake large enough to 
accommodate a number of motor boats, gondolas, canoes, etc. The 
beach and park together offer a splendid playground for adults as 
well as children, and the management of the resort provides many 
forms of healthy and innocent amusements for its patrons. A fine 
hotel has recently been completed and affords ample accommodation 
to transient visitors. 

Montevideo's remarkable progress in recent years has been largely 
due to the intelligent and efficient manner in which its municipal 
government has been conducted. At its head is the intendente, or 
mayor, who is appointed by the National Government, while the 
members of the municipal council, the legislative body, are elected 
by the qualified voters of the municipality, which is divided into dis- 
tricts or wards. The work of the municipal government is divided 
among a number of departments and is conducted much like that of 
the larger cities of the United States. Especially efficient is the de- 
partment of public health, which is provided with every modern 
facility and device to prevent the spread of disease and to care for 
the sanitary welfare of the citizens. The city is provided with 
numerous well-equipped hospitals, some devoted to contagious and 
infectious diseases that might become epidemic, others for ordinary 
diseases, while special sanitariums are provided for consumptives. 




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MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OE ROSES. 23 

The location of the city is such that its drainage facilities are imu- 
sually good. The peninsula on which it is built is shaped something 
like the back of a whale and is almost a solid bank of gneiss overlaid 
with a comparatively thin stratum of soil. The city's center is 
about 40 feet above sea level and the ground slopes gradually on 
both sides, so there is a natural drainage that materially aids the 
artificial system. With its ideal climate and spendid location sup- 
plemented with all the modern comforts and conveniences that the 
ingenuity of its people can supply, Montevideo has become as nearly 
an ideal health resort as can be found in the world. Xot only is the 
city clean and healthy, but it is beautiful as well and promises to 
become even more so. 

As an instance showing the care and forethought of the Uruguayan 
Government in preserving the openness and attractive features of the 
streets of its cities and the roadways of the country, ma}' be cited 
the law which went into effect in 1916 and which provides that all 
buildings on public streets outside of the radius of the city of Monte- 
video and other urban centers of Uruguay must be constructed at 
least 10 meters (32.8 feet) from the boundary line of the property. 
Within the city limits the free space must be at least 4 meters (13.12 
feet). These distances of 10 and 4 meters, respectively, are to be 
measured from the front boundary line of the land to the most salient 
part of the building, and the space between must not be occupied 
by steps, balustrade, or ornaments. The law also makes obligatory 
the construction of fences on property in Montevideo, even if lots 
are vacant, when pavement has been laid. The fences must be of 
artistic iron grating, wood, or other suitable material, but never of 
wire netting, and they must be of the height required by previous 
regulations. 

Montevideo believes in having plenty of light. It was one of the 
first, if not the first, of South American cities to install an adequate 
electric-light plant. The streets are always well lighted, but to see 
them at their best one must be there during the carnival season, 
when the main thoroughfares and all public buildings are ablaze 
with thousands of multicolored electric lights. As an instance may 
be cited the carnival held in February, 1914. During this week of 
festivity there were 139,703 extra incandescent globes and arc lights 
used in this manner. The illuminated area began at one of the 
public squares on the mam avenue of the city where there was a 
large mechanical set piece of a moving chariot from which fell showers 
of gold poured from a horn of plenty. This figure was 50 feet high 
by 40 wide, and contained about 12,000 lights. The main street 
was decorated for 15 blocks with festoons of lights of different colors 
reaching from side to side. There were 8 festoons to each block, 
using a total of about 28,000 lights. In the mam plaza there were 





THE FAMOUS UNIVERSITY 



MONTEVIDEO 



The University of Montevideo was founded in 1849, and its various departments are housed in separate 
buildings especially adapted to each. Of the three departments shown in the above illustrations 
the one at the top is the new building of the medical department; the one in the middle houses the 
faculty of ensefianza secondaria, or academic department, which confers the degree of Bachelor 
of Sciences and Letters; and the one at the bottom is the college of law. 




EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF MONTEVIDEO. 

Top: the Chemical Institute, connected with and for min g a part of the medical department of the 
University of Montevideo. Middle: A typical public school of primary grades in Montevideo. 
Bottom: The School of Agriculture at Sayago, a suburb of Montevideo, formerly connected with the 
university, but now under an independent faculty and management. 



26 MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 

about 30,000 lights arranged in fancy scroll pattern, and in the 
Cathedral Plaza 60 arc lights and 25,000 incandescents were massed 
in pyramids 40 feet from the ground. One portion of the main 
street, extending for two blocks, had 14 varicolored butterflies reach- 
ing from side to side and using 5,000 lights. The great Solis Theater 
was profusely decorated with lights and scenic effects, and all of the 
other theaters and public buildings were more or less decorated, 
most of them being wired on the outside so that the lines of the 
structures were traced in glittering points of light. The beach at 
Pocitos had tall pyramids of colored lights in which about 16,000 
incandescents were used. All of which goes to show that Monte- 
video knows how to " light up" when the occasion presents itself. 

The principal industries of the Republic, as well as those of its 
capital and chief port, have considerable to do with supplying the 
world with two of the greatest necessities of mankind — food and 
clothing. Uruguay is primarily a cattle and sheep country and 
secondly an agricultural garden spot of the world. As a result, its 
manufacturing enterprises are almost altogether related to one or 
the other of these industries, animal products in various forms 
taking the lead of all others. Over 160 years ago some one happily 
stumbled on the idea that thousands of pounds of fresh beef usually 
wasted or fed to dogs could be preserved to the use of man in other 
sections of the world not so well provided with cattle, and a "sala- 
dero" (a meat drying and salting establishment) paved the way for 
an enormous industry. The jerked beef which enters into the daily 
rations of many thousands of families in Brazil, Cuba, and various 
tropical countries, as well as furnishes the meat supply for many of 
the troops now engaged on the battle fields of Europe, comes chiefly 
from these great "saladeros" of Uruguay, some 13 or 14 of which 
are located in the department of Montevideo. One of the inter- 
esting sights of the city is to be found in visiting some of these estab- 
lishments where one may see acres upon acres of posts connected with 
wire upon which is hung the meat that is dried by the sun. This 
meat, besides being dried is thoroughly salted, and will keep for a 
long time under conditions which would spoil it if preserved in any 
other manner. 

Perhaps the most noted manufacturing plant in Uruguay — or, for 
that matter, in all of South America — is located something like 100 
miles from Montevideo at a town called Fray Bentos, on the Uruguay 
River. It is the "Liebig's Extract of Meat Company." This one 
enormous industry has carried the name and fame of the beef of 
Uruguay "even unto the ends of the earth," especially where illness 
and weakness has needed the saving strength of meat in its con- 
centrated and easily digested form. The plant, started in 1865, has 
grown to immense proportions. The company raises and fattens 





TWO NOTABLE INSTITUTIONS OF MONTEVIDEO. 



Upper: The Military Hospital, one of the best equipped institutions of its kind in South America. 
It is governed by a board composed of the director general of the army medical corps and a number 
of other directors appointed by the executive council; and the work is intrusted to a managing 
director and a staff of skilled military surgeons. Lower: The new building which houses the 
engineering department of the University of Montevideo. 




Copyright by E. M. Newman and Brown & Dawson, N. Y. 

THE ITALIAN HOSPITAL AT MONTEVIDEO. 

In addition to the various hospitals under the direction and management of the Department of National 
Public Assistance, there are in Montevideo a number of fine private hospitals, among them being the 
Italian, the Spanish, and the British hospitals. The Italian Hospital is one of the most artistic buildings 
in the city. The upper picture shows the front exterior; the lower presents a view of the patio or inner 
court of the building. 



MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF KOSES. 29 

many thousands of cattle on its own ranches and buys many thou- 
sands more to supply its annual consumption of 200,000 head or more. 
A trip to this "largest kitchen in the world" is one of the features 
generally enjoyed by visitors to Montevideo. 

Three large modern packing houses, called " f rigorificos " in the 
Spanisbnspeaking countries, are located in Montevideo. The most 
recently installed of these is the plant owned by the North American 
firm of Morris & Co., who about two years ago bought some 208 
acres of ground in the outskirts of the city for $155,000 and have 
since then erected and equipped a plant which is said to have cost 
over $2,500,000. It has a daily capacity of 1,200 cattle, 1,500 to 
2,000 sheep, and as many hogs as are obtainable. The two older 
plants are owned by Swift & Co. and a British company, respectively. 
According to the cattle census of 1916 the country has nearly 8,000,000 
head, so that the supply is abundantly able to meet the demand of 
the packers and the jerked-beef plants, all of which combined are said 
to consume from 600,000 to 700,000 head of horned cattle annually. 

Other industries in the country growing out of. the cattle business 
are some 350 dairies, 14 .creameries, and 4 tanneries. Manufacturing 
plants using agricultural products include 115 flour mills and maca- 
roni factories, 3 starch factories, a large sugar refinery, 4 breweries, 
several distilleries, and 2,266 vineyards and wineries. The spinning 
and weaving industry is represented in Montevideo by several large 
woolen mills, well equipped and prosperous. Among other manufac- 
turing plants may be mentioned a rice mill, 43 factories engaged in 
the tanning and preparation of leather and in the manufacture of 
boot and shoe soles, 9 canning factories, 16 chocolate and candy fac- 
tories, 7 match factories, 19 butter and cheese factories, 5 boot and 
shoe factories, 24 brass and iron foundries, 14 sawmills, 17 tobacco 
factories, 25 soap factories, several furniture factories, and one of the 
largest cement plants in South America. 

Preeminent among Uruguay's manifold and efficient institutions is 
its fine educational system. In this respect the Republic has fol- 
lowed its accustomed policy of being up to date and thorough. 
According to the statistics of 1911 there were 1,011 primary public 
schools in the country. Primary and graded schools together num- 
bered 1,310, the number of pupils attending being 137,000. The 
population at that time was 1,094,688, so that there was one public 
school for every 843 inhabitants. Many new schools have been 
added to the number since this census was taken, but exact figures 
are not available to the writer. However, this showing of six years 
ago is an indication of the Uruguayan appreciation of the benefits 
of general education for all the people. 

As to higher education, what may be termed the capstone of the 
entire educational structure of the country is the celebrated Univer- 




THE PENITENTIARY AT MONTEVIDEO. 

Montevideo has one of the finest and most modernly equipped penal institutions in South America. 
The top picture shows the main building surrounded by its great wall, with the administration build- 
ing and the residence of the director and assistant director of the prison on either side in the foreground ; 
the middle picture shows a portion of the main building and a section of the surrounding wall as i( is 
patrolled by the guards; and the lower picture shows an interior view of one of the halls of the mair> 
prison, with its three tiers of cells 



MONTEVIDEO, THE CITY OF ROSES. 



31 



sity of Montevideo, founded in 1849. This institution has a number 
of departments, each under a special faculty. Among these are, in 
addition to the strictly scientific and literary course which leads to 
the degree of bachelor of science and letters, the departments of 
law and sociology, medicine, pharmacy, mathematics, commerce, 
veterinary science, and agronomy. Each of these departments is 
provided with special facilities, such as libraries, museums, labora- 
tories, etc., while the members of the various faculties are specialists 
in their respective lines. 

It is perhaps largely due to the advanced educational methods of 
the Republic that the Government of Uruguay has for the past 15 
or 20 years been among the most progressive in the world. Uruguay 
does not wait for some other country to try out a new idea in gov- 
ernment. It tries the experiment itself, and if the innovation proves 
to be good it is retained; otherwise it is soon rejected. As instances 
of advanced ideas in democratic government may be cited the fol- 
lowing legislative measures which have been adopted in the last two 
years: A law providing for Government control of the telegraph, 
telephone, and postal services; a law providing an 8-hour day for 
workingmen; a workmen's compensation law; the taxation of adver- 
tising; and a rigid bank-inspection law. 

These are but a few of the noteworthy features of the Republic 
of Uruguay and its modern capital. There are many others that 
can not be dealt with in this brief sketch. One of the most agreeable 
impressions that the stranger who visits Montevideo receives is that 
of the sincerity of the welcome extended to him. The people seem 
genuinely glad to have foreigners visit their city, and somehow they 
manage to make a North American feel very much at home. At 
least that was the experience of the writer, and it is with unalloyed 
pleasure that he recalls every moment of his stay in Montevideo — 
the "City of Roses." 








SnnnnSE C0NGRESS 

015 916 654 5 






THE PAN AMERICAN UNION is the inter- 
national organization and office maintained 
in Washington, D. C, by the twenty-one 
American republics, as follows: Argentina, Bolivia, 
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Domini- 
can Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Hon- 
duras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, 
Salvador, United States, Uruguay, and Venezuela. 
It is devoted to the development and advancement 
of commerce, friendly intercourse, and good under- 
standing among these countries. It is supported 
by quotas contributed by each country, based upon 
the population. Its affairs are administered by a 
Director General and Assistant Director, elected 
by and responsible to a Governing Board, which is 
composed of the Secretary of State of the United 
States and the diplomatic representatives in Wash- 
ington of the other American governments. These 
two executive officers are assisted by a staff of 
international experts, ststisticians, commercial 
specialists, editors, translators, compilers, libra- 
rians, clerks and stenographers. The Union pub- 
lishes a Monthly Bulletin in English, Spanish, 
Portuguese and French, which is a careful record 
of Pan American progress. It also publishes 
numerous special reports and pamphlets on various 
subjects of practical information. Its library, the 
Columbus Memorial Library, contains, 36,000 vol- 
umes, 18,000 photographs, 132,000 index cards, and 
a large collection of maps. The Union is housed in 
a beautiful building erected through the munifi- 
cence of Andrew Carnegie. 



32 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




015 916 654 5 * 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



015 916 654 5 # 



